First of all Haile Gebrselassie is ONE OF THE GREATEST ATHLETES EVER in any sport and any era. I agree Kenenisa will never be Haile; however, he very well may run faster than Haile and accomplish great things of his own.
I can't wait until they race again as two of my favorite distance runners it will be a great race. Just don't keep saying wait until the next race everytime Kenenisa wins!
Vipam
Great article at
reporting on Bekele having a beer and reflecting on the 10000m race against Geb and Sileshi. His plans for the 2003 European season and Worlds.
All three of the top Ethopians were aiming for the World REcord and in my opinion they would have came very close if not for the weather (consider that 26:50.20 man Richard Limo couldn't break 28 minutes in the heat and wind).
Vipam
For your info as Ethiopian I am very proud of both of my country men and I will definitely accept Kenenisa is better runner than Haile when he wins their next race until then I am entitled to my opinion.
Haile is not one of the greatest athletes ever because he is the greatest athlete ever period may be we can see better athlete in the future but I doubt it.
broomfieldrunner
maybe the future is now, Haile said in a very recent article, "I knew from the beginning Kenenisa was strong. Kenenisa is stronger than me."
bbcsports
www.http://news.bbc.co.uk/sports/hi/athletics/2955186.stm
funnylol
I can't open your link but will take your word for now. I will just wait for the world championships and if Kenenisa can beat Haile there and I will happily say you are so right he is a better runner.
Broomfieldrunner
Go to bbcsport.co.uk or bbcsport.com and click on athletics
the find the article Bekele stuns Gebrselassie and read it in the article Geb admits Kenenisa is stronger than him.
I actual think Gebrselassie is an ambassador of the sport and a great role model but Kenenisa is the future and that future started yesterday. I am sure alot of people agree with that now.
funnylol
If Bekele is the future then we might be going back in time when the WC rolls around. The Emperor will not die that easily. I only hope that Bekele runs the 10 and not the 5 at the WC. And neither bbcsport.co.uk or bbcsport.com are websites. I tried the regular BBC website but couldn't find anything. Just a bunch of football and cricket headlines.
Here's the article:
Go to
. The click on maurice green article under gptrack news. Once you have the article on the side will be Bekele stuns Gebrselassie where Geb admits, "Bekele
is stronger than I am." All that will eventually led you to the article on some British site. If you follow the directions its the only way I know to access THAT article.
funnylol
I still can't find the article but there is no way I will believe Haile said Kenenisa is better than him unless I heard it from his mouth.
I did as the instructions from funnylol and went and found the article and it stated, "Kenenisa is stronger than me, but I know what I need to do for Paris. I will go back and work on my speed."
Kenenisa and Geb are both capable of breaking the 10000m World Record which was evident by the superb time they ran in extreme heat. Which is better....Geb has accomplished much more; however, Kenenisa is young and have time on his side.
Vipam
Haile does not believe anyone is better than him in "his events". The day he believes that, is the day he retires, period.
If the future is here, the future did not start yesterday bro. Double-double world champ in X-C, pounding the Kenyans??? 7:30 3k at 18 ??? (about 40 seconds faster than Ritz ran at the same age. Do you realize what 40 seconds is in a 3k??).
There was NO way this guy was gonna be anything but brilliant on the world track scene once once he ran several healthy races there. I was not sure if he would be Geb or not in this particular race (or later ones, and bet Ged will get some revenge at some point), but there was no way Bekele was gonna be a chump out there. His X-C races and 7:30 were just TOO DAMN GOOD. Yes, Vipam has been saying it for months.
He was stating the obvious, but give him credit for stating it then and believing it. (but Bekele still may never beat 26:22 or 12:39. There is no guarantee of that at all)
I know that I will be called everything but sane; however, I am willing to state and it is not a guess-it an educated assumption-that Kenenisa Bekele could very well run:
1500m-3:30.7
3000m-7:15-7:21.9
5000m-12:31.9
10000m-26:10-26:15.5
by the end of his career.
Look for him to continue his winning ways in 2003 and 2004 cross-country and to only get better on the track forcing everyone to raise their levels drastically! He will have a few others to challenge him periodically such as Hillary Chenonge, Sileshi Sihine, Kwalia (18 yr old new Mile WJR holder) with 7:37-3000m, 13:14-5000m speed at 18.
Vipam
Pure speculation Vipam. Bekele could burn out or he could shock the world with some amazing performances. Remember this guy is only 20. He could be the first man under 26 minutes for 10k, or he could burn out tommorrow. Who knows. We only know he's an amazing talent and he has what it takes to be the greatest ever.
BroomfieldRunner
Finally able to get back to my computer and will try to guide you and others to the article funnylol spoke of. I went to
1.www.gptrack.com
2.find and click on
GPTRACK NEWS- (blue border)
02.06.03 BBC Sport
Greene signals intent
3.That will take you to Greene's article on the bottom
right hand side of Maurice Green's picture you will see:
ALSO IN THIS
SECTION-(gray letters)
.Bekele stuns
Gebrselassie-(blue letters)
click that and you will see this article.
Bekele Stuns Gebrselassie
Bekele ran 26 minutes 53,7 seconds in his first 10000m 30
seconds off the World Record of 26:2275 set by Gebrselassie
five years ago in Hengelo's FBK Stadium.
Bekele, the World cross country champion, had challenged his Ethopian compatriot to set a world record, countrymen Sihine Sileshi was third.
The three men broke from the pack in the first 10 minutes and 20 year old Bekele won a final sprint in sweltering temperatures.
"I knew from the beginning Kenenisa was strong." Gebrselassie said.
"Kenenisa is stronger than me. I will try to do more speedwork. Paris will come soon and I will have a good race there (at the world championships in August)."
Gebrselassie said the unusually high spring temperatures had made it difficult to top his world record.
THATS THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
I look for great times and performances from both Geb and Kenenisa this year and next year in the Olympics.
Vipam
Kenenisa will be going for a World Leading time in the 5000m at Lausanne on July 1, 2003. The time of 12:48 by steepler Stephen Cherono is the 7th fastest performer all-time, so Kenenisa is looking to enter the top five (I honestly think he is going to see how close he can come to the World Record)! No word on who else is competing against him or the rabbits for the race.
Vipam
Kenenisa disappointed me in that he wouldn't go for the world leading time by himself. The world thought that Chebii and the Kenyan contingent would spell doom for Kenenisa, but now maybe the world sees what I saw almost 2 years ago. Kenenisa is the future and a slightly better future than even Haile Gebrsellasie has had.
Kenenisa stamina is better than anyone's out there and I preached about his speed since he ran 7:30.67 as a 18yr old. The only way to defeat Kenenisa is he is ill/injuried or he commits a series of tactial errors in a race.
Tirnesh Dibaba is going to continue to set more WJR and so will John K. and A. Kipchirchir.
Vipam
Vipam
At first I was skeptical about your predictions concerning
Kenenisa Bekele and other athletes. The more I followed your predictions the more I saw that you were right the majority of the time and while many say that you speak of the obivous. I was intrigued by how far in advance some of your predictions were made and every upcoming athLete you spoke of has emerged into a international force. I especially like your 10 international high schoolers and how every last one of them continue to improve. While I don't agree with everything you post your post are nevertheless entertaining, well thought, and most of the time highly accurate.
It seems to me by your posting that you think Kenenisa hasn't shown what he is truly capable of on the track even after his 10000m debut. Is that true?
Octavius
He only beat Kipketer by .07. It's premature to call him unbeatable on the track.
middle distance
When you sit on someone or the pack and answer every move made and then outkick everyone in the field (EVEN THE GUYS WITH SUPER KICKS ie the Bislett 5000m and Hengelo 10000m)
or you can surge away from everyone (2002 and 2003 X-Country Championships)-I would say that is about as close to the perfect athlete you can get. Oh I am sure he will lose but that will be a VERY rare occassion!
Vipam
If Kenenisa wants he will have a better career than even Haile!